46
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$702K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Lake County, Montana: 46 recorded events between 1961 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #2,754 nationally and #40 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Lake County, Montana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Lake County is the 2000s, when 19 of the county's 46 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Lake County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 41.4% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,754 for this hazard and #40 within Montana, putting it in the 12.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Lake County with 15 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2024 | ST IGNATIUS | 52 | $5K |
| Jul 25, 2024 | ARLEE | 65 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2022 | MOIESE | 50 | $50K |
| Jun 16, 2021 | RONAN | 43 | $5K |
| May 31, 2020 | BIG ARM | 52 | $10K |
| Aug 11, 2019 | DAYTON | 52 | $1K |
| Jun 9, 2016 | CHARLO | 52 | $2K |
| Aug 11, 2015 | ST IGNATIUS | 43 | $1K |
| Aug 26, 2013 | DAYTON | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 26, 2013 | ROLLINS | 43 | $500 |
Other hazards here
More from Lake County
- Hail 48
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
National Weather Service storm survey crew saw numerous trees and several power poles down along the storm's track. Two structures received roof damage. The damage observed was indicative of straight line winds. A flag pole was bent in half southwest of Polson. Based upon the damage observed, winds were estimated to be between 80 to 100 mph.
A 72 foot, 26 inch diameter Douglas Fir fell down from very strong thunderstorm winds and crashed onto owners' house. Soil moisture was relatively dry, but as seen in photo much of the branches on the trunk except at the top had already been cut off before this event. A forester examined the tree and found that its roots had been cut on the west side of the tree before the event.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Lake County, Montana?
46 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Lake County between 1961 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Lake County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Lake County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Lake County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Lake County, Montana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/montana/lake-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.